Greatest crude fighters of all time?

Rocky Marciano

 

Gene Fullmer

 

Stanley Ketchel
Battling Nelson
Original Jack Sharkey
Marcos Maidana

 

I'm sure there are numerous guys in the teens, 20s and 30s that are likely moreso as the craft hadn't yet evolved

Concerning eras since technique has evolved, Iran Barkley I'd say is the greatest crude fighter of all time

 

Dennis Andries pre-Kronk

 

Vito Antuofermo,if you think about it he literally got the title for some time,going the full distance thrice in title fights while being easy to bleed,having a clubbed right feet and not having too much talents.

 

Zivic

 

Trevor Berbick

 

Fullmer and Maidana, who have been mentioned above, were my original thoughts.

I really enjoy watching awkward power punchers like Rogers Mtagwa. Michael Katsidis had some tools but I wouldn't call him technical--some of the most fun to watch fights of all time though.

And obviously Ricardo Mayorga

 

Harry Greb.

 

Does primitive just mean a guy with bad technique? I get the “feel” of the question but what does it mean? Gene Fullmer gets called it, is a bit rough but technically he looked solid, good balance, good head movement, good footwork I don’t really see “it” is Ali, Corbett and Slater “primitive” too? They all had bad technique? They learned back in straight lines, threw ugly, weird hooking punches and uppercuts… is it just ugly and aggressive styles? Because Marciano’s fundamentals and understanding of movement were better then Ali…

 

My response is that almost all of the guys mentioned is skilled but with different physical assets. Maidana was great at being intentionally awkward and punching around the guard. Greb? No one beats that many HOF'ers, wins that many fights and loses so few without being stratospherically skilled. Marciano, also, knew exactly how to utilize his physical assets and minimize his physical shortcomings. Was he supposed to adopt a Philly shell and work off his jab from a distance? There is simply not one set of skills for all fighters. I'm not sure that a Mayorga would cause elite fighters more problems if he were to be more orthodox in his style.

 

I get everything here exactly and you’re right… but Marciano could “shoulder roll” if he wanted to and did make punches fall short or overreach in other ways and also the “Philly shell” doesn’t exist.